Meihuazhuang.ca
Title
Canadian Meihuazhuang Association -- Martial Arts / Kung Fu / Gongfu in Regina & Vancouver, Canada
Description
About Meihuazhuang
Originating as a highly sophisticated battlefield art already common on the north China plains by the 1500s, it remains today a holistic and effective method for self defense. Additionally, because it integrates physical training with intent and thought, it is highly effective for relaxing and strengthening the mind and body, eliminating dysfunctional movement habits and attaining advanced martial and cognitive-perceptual skills.
Many areas in rural China practice defensive maneuvers using battlefield weapons of meihuazhuang. This photo shows the use of special weaponry to defend against long spears. (2001, Guangzong County)
Meihuazhuang literally means Plum Flower Posts. The term post derives from meihuazhuang’s distinctive practice of undertaking training on the top of posts driven into the ground. The plum flower (actually a species closely related to the plum also known as the ume or mume) blooms very early in spring. In northern China, the beautiful blossoms of the plum flowers bloom in early spring despite the cold and the snow covering the ground. Because of its resilience, its presentation of beauty and elegance in spite of harsh conditions, the plum flower is regarded a symbol of resilience and a powerful thriving spirit embodied in beauty. The arrangement of the five petals around the heart of the flower symbolizes the unity of humanity as a single body, and the annual flowering at the end of winter symbolizes longevity and the continuity of life. In addition, if an observer were to watch the practice of meihuazhuang from above, the pattern traced on the ground, is reminiscent of the shape of a plum flower.
